1. Technical Field
The technical field relates to an imaging apparatus that shoots an optical image of a subject, an imaging apparatus body and a reporting terminal that presents a predetermined notice in the shooting using the imaging apparatus body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when shooting a moving subject such as a child by a video camera or camcorder, the camcorder user needs to gaze at the image of the subject in the view finder or monitor so as not to make the image of the subject go out of the frame. However, continuing gazing at the image of the subject is a heavy burden upon the user and also makes it difficult for the user to learn the surrounding situation.
For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-341449) proposes a technique of, in an imaging apparatus with a monitor, tracking the designated subject and displaying where the tracking subject is in the display screen in the monitor (herein after simply “display screen”).
FIG. 1 is an example of the display screen of the imaging apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1. The imaging apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 specifies the location of image 10 of the subject designated as a tracking target (herein after simply “main subject”) from image data obtained as a result of imaging, and displays arrow 30 or the frame showing the specified location on display screen 20. By this means, the user is able to readily identify the location of main subject 10 on display screen 20 and prevent main subject 10 from going out of the frame without continuing gazing at main subject 10.
Further, for example, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-129480) proposes an imaging apparatus that displays in which direction the main subject who has gone out of the frame has moved. The imaging apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 tracks the motion of the main subject, and, when the main subject has gone out of the frame, displays an arrow showing the direction in which the subject has moved. By this means, the user is able to readily decide in which direction the main subject has gone out of the frame, without continuing gazing at the main subject, and readily make the main subject re-enter the frame.
However, in actual shooting, often there are cases where the user performs shooting operation looking away from the display screen such as when the user waves his/her hand directly looking at the person of the main subject. Therefore, it is preferable that shooting images continues preventing the main subject from going out of the frame as few as possible even while the user is looking away from the display screen. For this purpose, when the main subject is about to go out of the frame or when the main subject has gone out of the frame, the user needs to notice this immediately to look back at the display screen.
However, when the user is looking away from the display screen even in the shooting using either the imaging apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 or the imaging apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2, even if the main subject is about to go out of the frame or has gone out of the frame, the user cannot notice this immediately.
Similarly, when the main subject hides behind other objects or when there is an object similar to the outlook of the main subject in the shooting range, cases may occur where tracking processing ends or fails. In such cases, to prevent the main subject from going out of the frame, the user needs to notice this immediately and look back at the display screen. However, even if either the imaging apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 or the imaging apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 is used, the user cannot notice immediately that the tracking processing has ended or failed.